Patrick Soutiran

Champagne Patrick Soutiran is based in Ambonnay, one of the 17 Grand Cru villages of Champagne, on the southern flank of the Montagne de Reims. The house goes back to Gérard Soutiran, who began selling bottles in the 1950s. A word of orientation: Champagne Soutiran, run by Valérie Renaux-Soutiran, is a separate estate at a different address and should not be confused with this one.

Family and generations

Patrick Soutiran followed his father Gérard and founded his own company in 1971. The family speaks of five generations of winegrowing tradition. His children Estelle and Fabrice grew up on the estate. Both first went their own professional ways, Estelle as a nurse, Fabrice in infographics. Estelle returned in 2008, Fabrice in 2012. Today the two run the estate as independent récoltants-manipulants. They tend their vines themselves and vinify their cuvées themselves.

Vines and winemaking

The estate covers a little over three hectares in the communes of Ambonnay and Trépail. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown. Ambonnay is regarded as a Pinot Noir village. Chardonnay is not absent there, though, and the Soutirans have turned it into a speciality: Chardonnay from a Grand Cru known for its black grapes. The Blanc de Blancs is a Premier Cru made from 100% Chardonnay.

“The house goes back to Gérard Soutiran, who began selling bottles in the 1950s.

Estelle and Fabrice treat each vintage as a creation in its own right. The oldest vines are vinified in Burgundy oak barrels or in stainless steel, with a restrained dosage. For the Dosage Zéro, the retailer's description gives 100% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay. It is aged in steel, with malolactic fermentation. The base is made up of 80% from the vintage and 20% reserve wines.

Cuvées, visits and tastings

The range includes Grand Cru and Premier Cru cuvées, among them Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Blancs, Dosage Zéro, Précieuse d'Argent and a Millésime. There is also the Cuvée Mattis, a rosé and a ratafia, among others. A red Coteaux Champenois from Ambonnay is listed too.

Estelle and Fabrice like to welcome customers and wine lovers to the estate. It is open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 5.30pm, by appointment. The address is 2 Rue des Tonneliers, 51150 Ambonnay. The telephone number is +33 3 26 57 08 18.